March 10, 2017 — Skilled workers will receive their Canada work permits and Canada visa applications processed within two weeks beginning June 12, 2017 as part of a new Global Talent Stream in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

The federal government wants to help high-growth companies bring in the talent they need quickly by slashing the processing time for a Canada visa application from six months to just 10 business days.

Although the new stream has been months in the making, it could not come at a better moment for Canadian companies looking to benefit from Donald Trump’s USA immigration crackdown across the border.

Once the fast-track Canada work permit is up and running, those skilled workers thinking about moving to Canada will become able to make it happen in two weeks.

A key element of the Global Talent Stream is that registered employers will need to commit to creating jobs for Canadians and transferring knowledge to Canadian workers.

“This will result in timely, responsive, and predictable service that enables companies to attract top talent to scale up, create good middle-class jobs at home and remain globally competitive,” the federal government press release states.

The Global Talent Stream is part of a broader Global Skills Strategy to directly help Canadian start-ups thrive.

Key Elements Of The New Global Talent Stream

Dedicated service for companies looking to make significant job-creating investments in Canada.

Dropping of the work permit requirement for short-term highly skilled work (30 days or less in a 12-month period), and brief academic stays.

Companies applying for workers through the Global Talent Stream will have access to the new streamlined application process that will provide:

Client-focused service to help guide eligible employers through the application process and the development of the Labour Market Benefits Plan, with a service standard of 10 business days.

Eligibility for workers to have their work permit applications processed in 10 business days.

It has become clear that a growing need exists for Canadian employers. The Information and Communications Technology Council predicted recently that by 2019, 182,000 high-paying Canadian technology jobs would be vacant.

Jayson Hilchie, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, summed up the current situation in a blog for the Huffington Post recently.

He wrote: “What Canada needs is efficient access to the best and brightest from abroad to help technology industries transform and grow here in Canada and to add value to an economy that is languishing while transitioning from resources to innovation.”